Download Time Introduction V2

Definitions for Project Time
Project Time –
 Covers all aspects of time and duration, from how long it
takes to complete one activity right through to the timeframe
for the entire project
Project Schedule  Comprises the planned dates for performing project activities,
completing deliverables and meeting milestones
 Normally represented as a GANTT chart using MS Project or
a similar project scheduling tool
Project Time Management –
 The processes required to manage the timely completion of a
project
Adapted from PMBOK 5th Edition
What is a GANTT chart?
• Gantt charts are named after their creator, an American
engineer Henry Laurence Gantt, who created the first
bar charts in the early 1910’s.
• It converts the Work Breakdown Structure into a
graphical display of a project schedule
• It displays the durations of all scheduled activities
including the interdependencies
• Often also includes information on project milestones
and resource allocation to activities
• It has become one of the most widespread project
management tools due to the prevalence of MS project
Sample GANTT Charts
What is a PERT chart?
• PERT stands for Programme Evaluation and Review
Technique
• It was created by a Naval scientist, Frederick Taylor, in
the 1950’s
• It is a project management technique for determining
how much time a project needs before it can be
completed.
• Each activity is assigned a best, worst and most
probable completion time estimate.
• These estimates are then used to determine the average
completion time and are represented graphically in a
network diagram
Sample PERT Charts
What is a Critical Path?
• Was developed in the 1950s by the Dupont Corporation
• The Critical Path Method, abbreviated CPM, or Critical
Path Analysis, is a mathematically based algorithm for
scheduling a set of project activities.
• It takes the activities in the Work Breakdown Structure,
the durations and the interdependencies, and calculates
the longest path through the project.
• It is the longest total duration of all the activities required
to complete a project
Task 1 = 4 days
Task 2 = 3 days
Critical path = 11 days
Task 3 = 4 days
Importance of Time
• Project Managers often cite delivering projects on time
as one of their biggest challenges.
• Schedule issues are one of the main reason for conflicts
on projects.
• There will be constant pressure from your Project
Sponsor and other stakeholders to accelerate delivery
• In the relationship between Scope, Time, Cost and
Scope
Time
Quality, Time normally has the least
amount of flexibility
Cost
Quality
Staying on Schedule
To stay on schedule, Project Managers must –
 Diligently control Project Scope
 Re-baseline the project schedule after any Change Requests
are approved
 Closely monitor the Critical Path activities
 Urgently resolve or escalate risks and issues that relate to
activities on the Critical Path
 Renegotiate the baseline Project Schedule whenever it
changes due to external factors
 Manage stakeholder expectations closely
 Evaluate performance against the agreed and re-baselined
Project Schedule
An Analogy
• Staying on schedule is like
piloting a plane that is on
auto pilot
• You will always get from
point A to point B but at
any point in time you are
Most direct route
normally off course
• You need to constantly
correct your course
Point A
Point B
Critical Path given weather
and other air traffic
Characteristics of Project Time
• Project timeframes are one of the primary sources of
conflict on projects
• Timeframes are often artificially imposed on projects due
to other factors such as business plan cycles, sales
targets, performance objectives etc
• Project timeframes are hard to predict when there is high
risk
Refined
during
the project
High level
becoming
detailed
Assumptions
often
required
Constraints
will be
applied
Changes
need to be
monitored
Measures
project
success
Project Time Interrelationships
• Time is one of the “triple
constraints” to Project Scope
Scope
Time
• Normally the least flexible
• Often imposed on the project
based business priorities and
other dependencies
Cost
Quality
• When the timeframe is fixed
then Scope and Quality will
need to be sacrificed when
additional time is required due
to invalid assumptions, missed
deadlines or additional effort
• High Risk projects normally
exceed original timeframes!
Project Time Processes
PMBOK Project Time Management Processes -
6.1 Plan
Schedule
Manage
ment
6.2
Define
Activities
6.3
Sequenc
e
Activities
6.4
Estimate
Activity
Resource
s
6.5
Estimate
Activity
Duration
6.6
Develop
Schedule
6.7
Control
Schedule
Related processes from Project Integration Management –
 4.1 Develop Project Charter
 4.2 Develop Project Management Plan